Wareham

Wareham is a historic market town in Dorset, England. It was founded by the Anglo-Saxons, who named it "Werham" ("homestead of the fish trap") due to its location along the River Frome. King Alfred the Great built ancient earth ramparts to defend the town from the Danes as a part of his system of burh towns, but the Danes captured and occupied the town in 875, only leaving after Alfred paid Guthrum to withdraw. By the end of the Saxon period, Wareham had become one of the most important towns of the county, and the Normans built a castle at Wareham. In 1762, a fire destroyed two-thirds of the town, and it was rebuilt in Georgian architecture and limestone. By 2017, Wareham had a population of 8,270 people.